Chapter 2
Chapter 2
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: I Don't Want to Be the Heroine (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Aaaah..."
The realization hit me like a hammer to the back of the head, making my vision spin.
The heroine. The main heroine, no less.
Did that mean I had to be the protagonist of this novel... and date him? Them?
"No way in hell."
Sure, I was in a woman's body now, but I was still a guy inside. How was I supposed to date another man? I'd rather bite my tongue and die.
...That said, the main heroine position wasn't something I could just brush off lightly. Especially since, unlike typical harem stories,
Aisha wasn't just important—she was basically a double protagonist.
To the point where people wondered if it was really a harem story at all, or just a pure romance.
Which meant there were a ton of flags waiting to snag me. To escape the heroine role, I'd have to dodge every single one. But how?
I pressed my throbbing temples and paced the living room.
I couldn't sit still.
What day was it today? Had I started at the academy yet? Or was this way before the original story began?
Any little detail would help. If I could just figure something out...
As I racked my brain, a chime rang from my pocket.
I reached in and pulled out a small blue plastic box I'd never seen before. It fit perfectly in my hand.
Flipping it over revealed a tiny screen with a clock icon, just like a smartphone.
...What was this thing again?
A full smartphone would've been better, but what could this little gadget even do?
A clock icon... probably an alarm?
I tapped the screen a couple times, and the icon vanished as a hologram flickered to life above it.
Entrance ceremony, huh. Looked like I'd possessed her right around when the story kicked off. The protagonist's tale started on enrollment day.
"One hour..."
Too short to make any real plans. I'd probably burn most of it just finding the academy. Better start by digging out the uniform.
#
"Hrk."
The second I found the uniform, a weird noise escaped my throat. Aisha was a girl, so of course it was the girls' uniform.
And girls' uniforms meant... a skirt.
My deeply rooted masculinity shook hard. It'd only been ten minutes since becoming a girl...!
A skirt. My hands trembled around the uniform at the unacceptable reality.
This was tyranny...!
And it wasn't just the skirt—there were white stockings too. They looked fine in illustrations, but wearing them myself...?
"Haa..."
No choice, though. The academy's dress code was strict. Skipping the uniform on day one could get me expelled on the spot.
Aisha didn't come from some fancy family; she was just a poor commoner. No parents, no powerful backing... Until I proved my strength, I had to play it safe.
I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled them on. I'll buy pants later... That was my plan as I slid the stockings up.
The cool touch against my skin made me wince. Like thin socks, maybe—the smooth glide over my skin felt strange.
A needless pang of guilt hit me, but now that I was a girl, it was pointless anyway...
"How far up do these go?"
I'd worn socks my whole life; stockings were alien. Up to my knees? The unfamiliar sensation was pure discomfort.
They'd probably feel normal with practice. Not that I wanted to get used to it.
"...Pretty, though."
Uniform on, I checked the mirror. It was like Aisha's illustration come to life.
White blouse, black necktie and vest, black checkered skirt—simple design, but Aisha's face pulled it off perfectly.
"Isn't it a bit short?"
Lifting the skirt revealed my thighs. Skirt over white stockings, knees fully exposed—was this okay?
Felt exposed down there, and every breeze while walking was annoying as hell.
Ugh, stares. I'd never liked drawing attention before.
Heading out like this, I'd probably get more than stares—I'd be the center of attention.
"Whatever."
To survive in this world, stares came with the territory. I'd adapt.
At least I'd landed in this world. Not some apocalyptic wasteland or gate-ravaged doomsday. Just deal with the occasional villain.
Well... now that the story was starting, the villains would ramp up a bit. Still, way more stable than total ruin.
'Abilities'—everyone was born with one. Strength and form often mirrored parents', but mutations happened.
Society revolved around them: some became 'heroes' protecting people with pure goodwill, others twisted into 'villains' unleashing malice.
Aisha was a hero-in-training.
Hence the academy, meeting the protagonist at the entrance ceremony, forging bonds, fighting villains.
That was the gist of the world... and yeah, not too dangerous. I liked that.
Way better than constant life-or-death.
Just one simple goal: don't get tangled with the protagonist.
I clenched then opened my fist. From it bloomed a tiny ice crystal—a snowflake in six directions. My breath came cold enough to freeze on the spot, not warm.
"...Now it feels real."
In my old world, I'd be hauled off for experiments.
Using an ability felt natural. Like breathing, clenching a fist, walking. Just imagine the form in your head, and it happened.
"Haa..."
Suddenly exhausted. Thirty minutes to the ceremony—I should head out...
But my feet wouldn't move. The protagonist I'd meet at the academy. Fate might pull us together. Love at first sight—some clichéd crap could happen.
But... I wouldn't let it.
I'll avoid it. No matter what.
I clenched my fist tight, vowing silently.
I won't be the heroine.
I'll live for myself alone.